Minority-owned Companies To Get More From District

The district's minority enterprise policy, which commissioners approved, will triple expenditures with black businesses next year.

The North Broward Hospital District plans to significantly boost its spending with firms owned by minorities and women next year, but the increase is not enough for Christopher Hood.

Hood, president of the Phoenix Group, which he says represents about 40 minority businesses in Broward County, angrily criticized the district's new plan on Wednesday.

"Whoever conceived this report needs to be fired," Hood said at the monthly meeting of the district's board of commissioners.

Hood has filed complaints against the hospital district and Broward County for their minority enterprise policies during the past year. Hospital board chairman Amadeo Trinchitella defended the district's policies on minorities.

"The very fact that we're two to three weeks behind in our search for a new chief executive is because Dr. [Rosalyn Y.) Carter wanted to bring in more minorities," Trinchitella said. "I don't think we have to apologize for anything."

Carter, also a commissioner, is heading the search to find a replacement for the district's former chief executive, Richard J. Stull III. Carter said on Wednesday there were 30 applicants, four of them women or minorities.

Carter said her committee would narrow the list to three prospects who will be called in for interviews during the next month.

The district's minority enterprise policy, which commissioners approved, will triple expenditures with black businesses next year, giving them a 2.5 percent share of the district's supplies and equipment expenditures.

But Hood called that figure "ridiculous," considering the percentage of blacks in Broward County. Of the county's 1.25 million residents, about 15 percent are black, according to census figures.

The district's controller, Patti Lahaie, said the percentage of planned expenditures for black-owned firms is not more because there aren't that many minority-owned businesses that sell medical equipment or supplies.

"There's not that many available," she said.

The district's spending goals for other minorities are: businesses owned by women, 5 percent; by Asian Americans, 2 percent, and Hispanics, 3 percent. Lahaie said those percentages are based on the district's past experience with minority-owned businesses.

Hood also criticized the district for not setting a goal for expenditures with firms owned by American Indians, claiming there was a high percentage of Indians in the county. According to census figures, Indians make up less than 1 percent of the population.

Lahaie said the district has always had a minority enterprise policy, but has never specified annual spending goals.

"This is the first time we've looked at it on an annual basis," she said.

During the 1993 fiscal year, which ended on June 30, the district spent $10.4 million with minority-owned firms - about 7 percent of $141.9 million in expenditures on equipment and supplies.

During the current fiscal year, the district expects to spend $16.8 million, or 9 percent; and in the 1995 fiscal year, it plans to spend $23.7 million, or 13 percent of expenditures, according to district figures.

Lahaie said the hospital district signed an agreement with Hood in April agreeing to give minority-owned firms a chance at the district's business.

"To agree to it was not a big deal," Lahaie said.

Lahaie said the agreement calls for the hospital district to institute formal bidding practices on all purchases over $30,000, unless the district is buying under a state contract; and, with purchases of between $5,000 and $30,000, to get at least three telephone quotes, with one of those a quote from a minority-owned business.